Quick & Delicious Prosciutto Lemon Pasta

This prosciutto lemon pasta comes together in just 20 minutes and is an elegant meal that everyone will love. Light and refreshing lemon spaghetti made with simple ingredients like fresh lemon juice, spring peas, fresh grated romano and crispy prosciutto. Serve on its own, or with grilled shrimp or chicken for more protein.

Not to mention, the delicious crispy prosciutto sprinkled on top! In my opinion, that little bit of crunch is what makes this recipe. I’d certainly eat the lemon pasta without it, but I’d certainly miss those little salty crisps.

Ingredients

spaghetti

For dry pastas, I recommend De Cecco – a high quality brand made in Italy. I don’t recommend fresh pasta for this recipe, as we will use the starchy water for finishing and dry pasta requires longer boiling, giving us starchy water.

prosciutto

A dry-cured Italian ham found in the specialty cheese section of the grocery store. Prosciutto doesn’t require cooking, it’s delicicous on its own, paired with cheeses and crackers. Here, we will crisp it up like very thin bacon.

peas

You can use fresh or frozen sweet peas. I do not recommend using canned, they will get mushy.

lemon

Fresh lemon juice only! If serving for guests, you can make the look even more elegant by placing the squeeze lemon halves in the pasta serving bowl.

butter

High-quality butter is key! The flavors in this dish are light and subtle, the flavor of the butter truly shines. I recommend Kerrygold grass-fed salted butter.

romano

Fresh romano cheese, finely (this is key) grated off the block.

How to make prosciutto lemon pasta

crisp the prosciutto

First slice the prosciutto into 1-inch strips. In a medium pan over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot and shining, cook the prosciutto until crispy, 4-5 minutes. Move to a plate and set aside.

cook the spaghetti & peas

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. I use 3 tablespoons of salt, but depending on how much water you use, this will vary. You want it to taste like the ocean! Once the water is boiling, add spaghetti and cook to “al dente” package instructions, add peas to the water just 1 minute before the pasta is done. At the time of adding the peas, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Drain spaghetti & peas, then return to the pot.

add butter, pasta water & lemon juice

Add the butter and pasta water to the spaghetti and peas. Mix completely, stirring fast with a wooden spoon to be sure it mixes well. Now add the fresh squeezed lemon juice and mix completely.

serve with romano & crispy proscuitto

Serve the pasta from the pot or remove to a large serving bowl. Top with the freshly grated romano and crispy prosciutto.

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A few notes about this recipe

Making ahead – I don’t recommend making this dish ahead, its best served right after cooking!

Leftovers – If you are cooking for two people and will have leftovers, save some extra reserved pasta water for reheating, as the pasta can get a little dry after refrigerated.

Protein – If you want more protein with this dish, the light lemon flavor would go great with grilled shrimp, chicken, or salmon.

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